Questions about underfloor heating

A:- This is one of the most common questions about underfloor heating we get & the simple answer is that the running costs are determined by many different factors, however in the majority of cases the running costs should not be a negative factor. A typical new building would perhaps cost around £3-£4 per m² per year to run, so 100 m² free floor area home would cost around £300-£400 per year to heat. In a conservatory with an insulated floor, electric underfloor heating will be more efficient than radiators due to the fact that you are using the whole floor as a low temperature radiant room heater. In an average sized conservatory used at weekends & winter evenings, the cost may be up to £8 per sqm/annum to run – so around £80 – £100 per year.

Electric floor heating stands out as an excellent choice, especially in areas where there is no mains gas supply & the options are electric, oil, or calor gas. Electric underfloor heating is also more efficient than radiators & other convected heat & requires no maintenance or servicing & 100% of the electrical energy is turned into heat energy. It is inevitable that more electricity will have to be produced from greener energy sources such as wind power & so in the future, electric underfloor heating should be one of the ‘greenest’ ways to heat your home.

Electric underfloor heating is designed to run with a floor surface temperature at a comfortable 25 – 28 deg C. In areas of high heat loss (such as conservatories) you may need to run it a few degrees higher than this to compensate.

For most small rooms the system can often be connected to an existing household wiring circuit via a fused spur, for larger areas a single dedicated circuit from your distribution board will be needed. All electrical work must be made by a qualified electrician who will be able to advise you on what you need.

How long it takes to heat the floor will vary, depending on your sub-floor & its insulation. The better the insulation the quicker it will heat up, 30 minutes to an hour on a wooden floor, but it may take several hours on an un-insulated concrete floor. However, on concrete floors it will also retain the heat in the concrete & therefore take much longer to cool down. Warm-up times can be drastically reduced. To as little as 15-20 minutes using an insulated tile-backer board such as Handyheat Tilebacker board.

Handyheat systems is only available direct from Floor Heating Systems Ltd – you can buy direct from us at discount prices on a next day delivery on-line or over the phone Tel: +44 (0) 115 983 4255, or from our trade counter in Hucknall.

In most cases underfloor heating can be used as a primary/sole heat source. As long as the room/building is well insulated. If you need any advice on this & the amount of heat you will need, please do not hesitate to contact a member of our team for advice

Most tillers are happy to tile directly over the cables & cable mats, but some may prefer to cover them with a thin latex leveling compound first. The carbon film should cause no inconvenience to a wood/laminate floor fitter.

For small or complicated areas like bathrooms a single heating cable is the answer but where larger areas are concerned an underfloor cable mat offers a much faster installation for a similar cost. However you must always chose a mat size which is at least 10% smaller than the free floor area of the room. e.g. 10.3sqm room – select 9 sqm mat

200 watt per sqm mats are ideal in conservatories & areas of high heat loss, where you need a higher output than standard. Running costs are not affected as you reach the required temperature faster & from there the thermostat accurately regulates the power consumption to meet the temperature you choose.

Under no circumstances can underfloor heating cables be cut to length. If you cut the cable you will invalidate the warranty. If you think you have too much cable/mat – please contact one of our advisors for immediate advice.

All underfloor cable heating mats come with a full set of heating mat installation instructions. Most small to medium size underfloor cable heating systems can be installed on a DIY basis. It is recommended that a fully qualified electrician connects the cable heating system to the household mains. Also larger areas will need careful planning due to the extra electricity loading calculations that will be required. A separate power supply may be needed for large under floor cable heating installations.

Yes you can and especially if you just want to warm a specific floor area such as a small kitchen. However if you want to use the system to be your primary room heating. We would strongly recommend the use of an insulation board.

Especially if you are installing in either a conservatory. Or an older house which does not benefit from current insulation standards.